Barrel structure



p -5.1939. E. H. LITI'LE Er AL 2,172,286;

BARREL STRUCTURE Filed May 10, 1938 (hard/i4 127/6 Mi/ldi/ififl/Mdii/ ATTO RN EYS Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BARREL STRUCTURE Edward H. Little and William R. Vansant, Ashland, Ky,

Application May 10, 1938, Serial No. 207,142 3 Claims. (Cl. 21'7-3) This invention relates to barrel structures and and with their converging cam edges l4 dismore particularly to whiskey barrels which are posed opposite each other near the center of the charred on the inner surfaces of the staves. barrel. A pair of wedges l5 are then applied to An object of the present invention is to prothe cam edges of the sections l3. Each wedge 5 vide a whiskey barrel having an inner lining of is provided in its opposite sides with grooves l6, 5 separate charred staves and means for removas best shown in Figure 3, to receive the opposite ably clamping the same in the barrel to the end cam edges M of the clamp sections l3. The that defective staves in the lining may be readily wedges are disposed with their smaller ends replaced. directed toward the staves. Both wedges are A further object of the invention is to provide driven on the sections in a direction away from 10 a charred stave inner lining which may be apthe center of the barrel to wedge the sections of plied to barrels now in use as well as to barrels the clamp tightly against the inner surfaces of in the course of construction without alterations the staves II. All faces of the wedges are to the barrel. charred.

With the above and other objects in view the To replace defective staves of the inner lining '15 invention consists of certain novel details of conit is simply necessary to drive the wedges l5 tostruction and combinations of parts hereinafter ward each other to release the sections l3 of the fully described and claimed, it being understood clamp from engagement with the staves, after that various modifications may be resorted to one head of the barrel has been removed. There- 30 within the scope of the appended claims without upon the separate staves may be readily ingo departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the spected and defective staves replaced with new advantages of the invention. charred staves.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of From the above description it is thought that this specification, the construction and operation of the invention Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a. will be fully understood without further explana- 25 barrel equipped with a lining of charred staves tion. removably clamped in position, in accordance What is claimed is: with th invention, 1. The combination with a whiskey barrel, of Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the an inner lining of charred staves, charred subline 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the two sections stantially semi-circular clamp sections disposed 30 of the clamp held in place by wedges. transversely of the barrel and removably clamp- Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of one of mg e lining staves against the n e Su faces the wedges, of the staves of the whiskey barrel, and wedge Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the sections of m ns r m v ly securing the clamp ons the clamp. against the staves. 35

Referring now to the drawing in which like 2. The combination with a whiskey barrel, of

characters of reference designate similar parts a plurality of charred staves lining the inner in the various views, l0 designates a conventional surfaces of the barrel staves, a pair of oppositely whiskey barrel. To form a charred inner surface disposed substantially semi-circular clamp secfor the barrel the present invention provides a tions disposed transversely in the barrel at the 40 plurality of staves II which are charred on one center of the barrel and having opposed cam surface or both surfaces as desired. The staves edges, and a pair of wedges engaged between are removably held in place at the ends by the the sections-of the clamp and forcing the sections heads 12 of the barrel and are removably held tightly against the centers of the charred staves in place at the center through the medium of a to removably hold the charred staves in posi- 45 two-piece clamp. tion.

The two-piece clamp comprises a pair of com- 3. The combination with a whiskey barrel, of panion sections l3, one of which is shown in an inner lining Comprising ar ed staves eX- Figure 4, each section being in the for f btending throughout the entire inner surfaces of stantially one-half a disc and formed of the same the staves of the barrel, said charred staves ex- 5 material as the staves. Both faces of the section tending to the heads of the barrel and being conare charred. Opposite the curved edge the secfined at the ends in the barrel by said heads, tion is provided with a pair of converging cam oppositely disposed clamp sections of substanedges I4. The sections l3 are fitted into the tially semi-circular outline having curved edges barrel with their curved edges against the staves engaging the inner faces of the staves at about 55 the center thereof and having oppositely disbeing driven outwardly from the center of the posed inclined converging cam edges opposite the barrel on the clamp sections to wedge the sections curved edges, and a. pair of wedges having of the clamp tightly in place.

grooves in their sides receiving the cam edges of the clamp section, said wedges having their small EDWARD H. LITTLE.

' end directed to the charred staves, said wedges WILLIAM R. VANSANT. 5 

